Symptoms

The symptoms may begin hours to days after you become infected. Symptoms may include:

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea -- acute and severe

Loss of appetite

Vomiting

Blood in the stool

Exams and Tests

Tests may include:

A stool culture to look for the type of infection. However, this test may not always identify the bacteria causing the illness.

A colonoscopy and/or upper endoscopy to look at the small intestine and to take tissue samples if needed.

Imaging tests such as CT scan and MRI (if symptoms are persistent).

Treatment

Mild cases often do not need treatment.

Antidiarrheal medicine is sometimes used. However, it may not be recommended in some cases because it can slow the germ from leaving the digestive tract.

You may need rehydration with electrolyte solutions if your body does not have enough fluids.

You may need medical care and fluids through a vein (intravenous fluids) if you have diarrhea and cannot keep fluids down. This is often the case with young children.

If you take diuretics (water pills) or ACE inhibitor and develop diarrhea, you may need to stop taking the diuretics. However, do not stop taking any medicine without first talking to your health care provider.

You may need to take antibiotics.

People who have Crohn disease will often need to take anti-inflammatory medicines.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Symptoms most often go away without treatment in a few days in otherwise healthy people.

Possible Complications

Complications may include:

Dehydration

Long-term diarrhea

Note: In babies, the diarrhea can cause severe dehydration that comes on very quickly.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your provider if:

You become dehydrated.

Diarrhea does not go away in 3 to 4 days.

You have a fever over 101°F (38.3°C).

You have blood in your stool.

Prevention

The following steps may help prevent enteritis:

Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food or drinks. You may also clean your hands with a 60% alcohol-based product.

Boil water that comes from unknown sources, such as streams and outdoor wells, before drinking it.

Use only clean utensils for eating or handling foods, particularly when handling eggs and poultry.